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This guide using a typical interior frame from HW 5 as an example. Please refer to the HW 5 solution for frame
geometry and for loads.
0. Display the Graphic Editing Toolbar. Right‐click anywhere in the white drawing area (e.g. next to the coordinate axes
symbol) and select “Graphic Editing Toolbar”. This is also a good time to save your file.
1. Define Section Sets. Select the largest shapes (W44x335 in this case) for best results during the iterative design
phase (Step 10 below).
2. Layout the Drawing Grid
CE 434, Spring 2015 Frame Analysis & Design using RISA3D 2 / 7
3. Draw Members. The first joint you “click” will be the “i” node and the second will be the “j” node.
4. Subdivide Physical Members.
5. Enter Unbraced Lengths
CE 434, Spring 2015 Frame Analysis & Design using RISA3D 3 / 7
6. Modify Boundary Conditions.
a. Constrain model to stay in x‐y plane b. Apply support boundary conditions
7. Set up “Basic Load Cases” and “Load Combinations”
CE 434, Spring 2015 Frame Analysis & Design using RISA3D 4 / 7
8. Enter Loads
Dead Snow Wind
9. Set Global Parameters for Design
CE 434, Spring 2015 Frame Analysis & Design using RISA3D 5 / 7
10. Analyze the model and have RISA select lightest members.
a. Make sure PDelta is selected for all load combinations and analyze all combinations
b. Display the deflected shape for a quick check of your model. The “Magnification Factor” can be adjusted.
CE 434, Spring 2015 Frame Analysis & Design using RISA3D 6 / 7
c. Select “Suggested Design” and “Design Results” from the Results menu. Select a Section Set in the
Member Suggested Shapes box , right click and select “Solve Again Using . . .”
Occasionally, RISA will iterate back and forth between two suggested member sizes. One of these sizes will lead
to a Code Check > 1.0, indicating the other shape (W21x101 in this case) should be used.
11. Display the results.
a. Show the plots of axial force and bending moment
CE 434, Spring 2015 Frame Analysis & Design using RISA3D 7 / 7
Axial Forces, k Bending Moments, k‐ft
b. Show the design results. Especially important are the max. code check for each type of member, the Load
Combination (LC) producing that max. code check, and the Location of the max. code check (Loc) in feet
from the i‐node of the member
Columns:
Girders:
For example, the above information can be interpreted as: “Column design controlled by down‐wind
column, Code Check = 0.91 at the top of the column for Load Combination 1.2 D + 1.6 S + 0.5 W.
c. Finally, show the Detail Results for each controlling member. Select “Detail” on the far left of the
window, then select the member for which you wish to see the detail report. See following pages for full
example reports.
Beam: M2
Shape: W21x101 4.347 at 23.438 ft
Material: A992
Length: 25 ft
I Joint: N3 Dz in
J Joint: N4
LC 1: 1.2 D + 1.6 S + 0.5 W
Code Check: 0.914 (bending) Dy in
Report Based On 97 Sections
101.077 at 0 ft
-32.258 at 12.76 ft
Vy k
Vz k
-33.611 at 0 ft
A k
823.365 at 25 ft
T k-ft My k-ft
Mz k-ft
43.686 at 25 ft
ft ksi
3.392 at 0 ft
fa ksi
fc ksi
-43.686 at 25 ft
54.343 at 0 ft 64.242 at 0 ft
Vz k
A k Vy k
39.372 at 16.141 ft 18.984 at 16.141 ft
823.365 at 0 ft
T k-ft My k-ft
Mz k-ft
-492.558 at 31.623 ft